Burrito West Blog

So, I went on a cruise. Which is not something I expected to do for another few decades, if ever.
 
 I have had many people rave to me about how much they love going on cruises, but they didn't really seem to be my scene (not to mention that they are an environmental blight). An opportunity for a free 3 day cruise came up and Peter had plans to travel to SE Asia so I asked a friend if she wanted to join me and suddenly, a cruise vacation was booked!

Fortunately, I went with the same friend I went to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with 5 (6?) years ago. She and I had similar views of our stopover in Vegas (not our scene, had to find our own fun), so I figured we'd be on the same page, mocking the same things on the cruise, both keen to opt out of the same things.

We flew to LA (LAX is a hot mess of an airport, fyi) and paid for the shuttle to Long Beach cruise ship port. The process of getting on the boat involved a lot of lines, but the moved pretty quickly and before we knew it we were on board and being told to go enjoy the buffet lunch.

The first thing we learned about cruise life is that they want to take pictures of you constantly so they can sell you photos later. At some point in the cruise we decided to stop fighting it and enthusiastically said yes to all photo ops (there were FOUR in a row when we got off the boat in Mexico, just to give you an idea).

We walked into the buffet food area and were assaulted by NEON and loud music. It was sensory overload. When I posted a photo on facebook, a friend suggested it was a Battlestar Galactica theme. We helped ourselves to fruit and soft serve ice cream and commented on the disappointing lack of sprinkles for the ice cream.

(photo above: lobby/atrium area of the ship. Subtle design aesthetic.)

The first stop for our cruise was Avalon on Catalina Island, California. We sailed there overnight. Which is odd because there are boats that leave Long Beach and get there in 1-2 hours. I really don't know how we managed to take so long, it must be really hard to be a cruise ship navigator and make it take 10 hours to get somewhere you can get in 2 hours.

We went for a wander around town, hiked up a steep dirt path at the suggestion of a local (great view), discovered a sweet pet cemetery with heartwarming memorial tributes to various pets ("Will, RIP, you were a great fish"), and had tacos.

It was strange being part of the cruise ship hoard (I usually flee the cruise ship hoards when they land in Vancouver). Avalon was nice but we had a really hard time finding any shops that sold any Avalon-made stuff which was a bummer.

They were having an extreme water shortage, with signs in their main plaza. FYI. Droughts - soon to be increasingly normal.


There was a section of the cruise ship called "Serenity" that I was keen to experience. I was a section of deck with lounge chairs and two little hot tubs that was kid-free. YAY! Unfortunately that doesn't mean it's free of loud drunk people who sit in the hot tub for two hours talking loudly nonstop the entire time.  At some point when it was cold and windy we tried the poolside area (more sheltered) and had music blasted at us while kids cannon-balled into the pool and drunk people at the bar screamed for no apparent reason. We tried sitting outside the cafe area inside the ship, but staff were setting up for an art auction (?) so there was a lot of commotion. We visited the library, which was cool, but it was off the ship lobby atrium and they had a guy at the lobby bar playing music which was amplified to ensure all 6 decks could hear it clearly. Our cabin was generally the only option for a quiet place to hang out. The intention of this cruiseline was to HAVE FUN, not relax and nap in the sun, clearly.

The next stop after Catalina was Ensenada, Mexico. We signed up for a kayaking excursion here because I'd heard the town was a tourist trap and I've never been to Mexico before so I wanted to get off the ship and see something.

The kayak trip was wonderful. It was well run and our guides were excellent. We went out into open ocean over some fun rolling waves, got to see a cool blow hole, learned to use giant kelp as an anchor.  Good times. We did get off in the town thinking we would find some food but the hawkers trying to get us into their shops were so persistent and obnoxious that instead we just walked back to the ship as quickly as we could. It was pretty awful.

We enjoyed some 80s music trivia and the Diva show, had dinner at a shared table with a random collection of people. Read books in the sun, chatted a lot. Did an 8am yoga class (yoga on a moving ship is interesting). Ate. There is so much food! Definitely gained weight.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves... but mostly despite the cruiseline's efforts to manufacture fun. This was the party cruiseline. The kind where they ask "is everyone having a good time" and the crowd screams.  I'm not the kind of person that screams on cue. But, a few days of sunny weather and good company and no need to worry about things is always good.

The day I got back I sat in my apartment with two cats and enjoyed the lack of neon and loud music. I went the entire rest of the day enjoying the quiet.

Imagine this being really really loud.  Super relaxing.

I always marvel at how good it is to go away and travel and at the same time how very good it is to get home.  Peter returns from his crazy adventure in a few days; will be fun to share stories.

Trip photos are being uploaded here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lisabrideau/albums/72157666415994404